The Dork Squad
by EscapeIntoMyMadness
Summary: Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow), Edward Nigma (The Riddler) and Jervis Tetch (The Mad Hatter) team up and become what they will soon to be known as "The Dork Squad" (well...that's what everyone else refers to them as) Watch as they strike fear on Gotham city, leaving behind chaos and riddles, all whilst enjoying a nice spot of tea...
1. Chapter 1 - Edward Nigma

Sirens blared in the distance as Edward ran down the dreary alleyways of Gotham City. The rain pounded heavily on the ground, drumming on the rooftops on the buildings towering over him and hitting his face harshly as he ran. The duffle bag which was slung across his shoulder slowed him down slightly but he desperately tried to keep up a good pace to avoid capture.

Suddenly, a loud thud was heard behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he was met by the face of the caped crusader himself. Panic quickly flooded his whole body and a look of fright spread across his features. He began to run even faster.

Desperately he tried to run away but he felt his legs knot together. He looked down in confusion and noticed a black cord tied around his ankles tightly. Before he could even process what was going on, the cord was yanked back and he was slammed face first into the concrete. He let out a moan when he hit the ground, realising his vision was going fuzzy. The last thing he saw was a dark figure looming above him before everything went black.

"Wake up." A deep voice commanded. Edward was only half awake at this point. He must have been knocked unconscious when his face impacted with the ground. Groggily, he flickered his eyes open and tried to make out his surroundings through blurred vision. He felt lightheaded for some reason and his head was beginning to pound. When he had fully came around, he realised why he felt this way.

The batman had him stringed up by his feet on a church gargoyle, hanging limply in the cold, winter air. Edward blocked out his fear of heights, resisting the urge to scream and yell. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and gave the caped crusader a smug smirk.

"Nigma! Talk!" The batman commanded sharply, his patience wearing thin.

Edward made a tutting noise and wagged his finger at the detective like a child. "Manners cost nothing. Would it kill you to say please once in awhile?"

"I don't have time for this." He replied irritably, letting the cord that was currently holding Edward in the air fall slightly. Edward couldn't help but let a small yelp escape from his lips when he started to fall to the ground. However, he knew batman wouldn't kill him and soon enough, he was being lifted back up to his previous position.

"Fine fine. I'll talk." Edward whined, panic present in his tone. He looked up at the detective who greeted him will a cold, stern look.

"Why were you at the university? What did you want?" The batman questioned, tightening his grip on the cord that was currently holding up Edward.

"Why don't you figure that out for yourself?" Edward questioned, raising his brow. He realised his duffle bag was missing and that batman more than likely had it next to him on the roof. Everything he had stolen from the university was in that bag.

Batman looked at him unsure and then shifted his gaze over to the bag sitting next to him. With his free hand, he began to rummage around inside the bag. "Chemicals?" The batman asked rather confused, furrowing his brow. "Why steal these?"

Edward smirked up at him. "Your the detective. You tell me."

Batman glared down at him and let the cord slip from his grip again. No matter how much Edward tried to avoid screaming, the sound escaped his lips nonetheless. "Stop! Please! I'll tell you."

Edward whimpered as he was pulled back up.

"Talk." Batman sneered.

"I'm just delivering them to someone." Edward said.

"Who?"

"Ah ah ah. Not so fast Batman. I'm not going to answer everything for you. That would be cheating. And you know how much I hate cheaters." Edward replied rather smugly, wagging his finger in the Batman's direction.

Batman growled and pulled Edward up so he was no longer dangling in the air. He grabbed him by his shirt and tossed him onto the church roof carelessly. Edward gave a small huff when he was thrown onto the roof and quickly scrambled to his feet. Noticing Batman was distracted with some sort of gadget installed in the arm of his batsuit, he took the opportunity to make a quick getaway, grabbing his duffle bag quickly before darting off.


	2. Chapter 2 - Jonathan Crane

After making his quick getaway from Batman, Edward continued to travel down the darkening streets of Gotham. Street lights flickered above his head, illuminating the path below his feet. The wind whistled as it blew on his face, making his cheeks flush a bright pink momentarily. He wrapped his green jacket more around himself, desperately trying to keep warm in the icy, winter night.

Well, on the upside, at least it had stopped raining...

A familiar, derelict apartment building caught Edward's attention as it came into his view. He gave a small smile, thankful that he would finally be in the warmth of a building instead of out in the cold.

The apartment complex was completely abandoned, save for one person who had took to hiding out in one of the apartments on the first floor. Edward walked through the lobby and towards the elevator, adjusting the strap of the duffle bag weighing down his shoulder as he waited patiently to get to the first floor. When the doors opened with a loud, croaky clank, he followed the ripped red carpet that lay on the floor towards the apartment. As he approached the door, he lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles sharply on the wooden door.

Seconds later, a lock could be heard and the door opened, revealing a skinny man. He had dark brown messy hair with framed glasses that covered his chilling blue eyes. The white shirt he was wearing was rolled up at the sleeves, revealing thin, bony arms with various small scars on, some new and some old. Black trousers clung to his lanky legs, with some pointed, black formal shoes covering his feet. At the sight of Edward, he crosses his arms over his chest and frowned slightly. "What took you so long?" He questioned in a spine chilling tone.

Edward narrowed his eyes and glared at the man. "Batman happened Jonathan! That blithering idiot decided to hang me upside down from a church gargoyle."

Jonathan smirked slightly before his mouth set back into it's usual frown. "Did you get what I asked for." He asked, not caring in the slightest about Edward's well being.

"Yes, I did." Edward huffed, throwing the duffle bag into the tall man's arms. Jonathan let out a small huff from the impact of the bag being thrown at him. Edward barged past him and stormed into the apartment, flinging himself down onto the living room sofa.

Jonathan gave Edward a look of distaste before closing the door gently and setting the bag onto the coffee table, rummaging through it's contents. He pulled out various chemical bottles and examined their labels carefully, before shoving them all back in the bag. "Well." The man spoke. "Looks like we have everything."

Edward hummed lazily in response, waving his hand in the air with a roll of his wrist. "Mind if I sleep here tonight?"

Jonathan's cold gaze shifted to Edward who was sprawled out across the sofa, one arm dangling over the side while the other rested on his stomach. "What's wrong with your place?"

Edward's eyes shot open and he sent an "Are you kidding me" look in Jonathan's direction. "I've been walking around for the majority of the night in the freezing cold. I nearly got caught in the University stealing chemicals for you by a night guard, I've been strung up by my ankles on a gargoyle and it rained. TWICE!" Edward yelled, his tone getting louder as he spoke. He flopped back down onto the sofa and ran a hand through his short brown hair, ruffling it slightly then dragged his hand down his face in exhaustion. "If you even think I'm going to walk all the way back and risk getting dragged to Arkham by batman..." He mumbled under his breath.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow at Edward's ranting. He should have felt sorry for him. He went to all that trouble and risked being dragged back to Arkham. However, Jonathan felt nothing. "Fine." He sighed. "You can stay here."

Edward barely heard Jonathan speak. He had already started to doze off and he was now sound asleep on the couch. Jonathan rolled his eyes skyward and huffed under his breath.

"Don't say I never did anything nice." He muttered to himself bitterly, aiming the comment at the sleeping Edward before turning on his heel and walking to his bedroom to get some much needed rest.

Jonathan woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee. He furrowed his brow in confusion, completely forgetting for a moment that Edward was in his house. He lifted himself off the bed and rubbed his eyes before making his way to the kitchen. As expected, Edward was awake and sitting at the kitchen table with a crossword book. He tapped the green biro pen on his head as he thought before making a thoughtful noise and quickly filling in one of the answers. He jumped when Jonathan came up behind him and peered over his shoulder. He hadn't even heard him come in...

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Edward snapped, glaring up at Jonathan who stood behind him.

"Why? Are you scared?" Jonathan teased, his tone of voice become slightly dark and menacing.

"N..no." Edward stuttered. He would be lying if he said that Jonathan didn't scare him. The fact that he could go from polite and quiet to full on creepy in a matter of seconds frightened Edward and sent shivers up his spine.

Jonathan smirked, proud that he had managed to scare the prince of puzzles before the day had even began. He walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug before sitting with Edward at the kitchen table, watching him intently as he filled in the last part of the crossword puzzle in the morning paper.

As soon as he had completed the crossword, he smiled proudly to himself and tossed the paper to Jonathan who nearly spilt his coffee trying to catch it. He shot a death glare in Edward's direction before flicking through the newspaper, completely immersed by the words written inside.

"So." Edward began, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair. "What are we doing today?"

"We?" Jonathan questioned coldly, not even bothering to lift his eyes from the paper.

Edward looked somewhat offended at the comment. "Yes we! I want in. I helped you steal those damn chemicals in the first place!" He whined.

"And for that I am grateful Edward." Jonathan spoke flatly. He didn't sound thankful at all.

Edward huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I hate you." He mumbled.

"The feelings mutual."

Sending a glare in Jonathan's direction, Edward angrily shot up from his seat and walked into the living room, grabbing the duffle bag that still sat on the coffee table. "Well, it looks like I'll be taking these back."

Jonathan looked up and noticed the bag hanging of Edward's shoulder. His mouth curved into a frown and he felt nothing but irritation and anger towards the man in front of him. "Edward." He seethed.

"If you want the bag then it looks like your going to have to let me in on this plan of yours." He smirked, holding the bag out in front of him in a teasing manner.

Jonathan glared, his eyes shooting daggers into Edward's form. Finally, he breathed a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine."

Smiling, Edward handed the duffle bag over to Jonathan who snatched it back bitterly. "So?" He began. "What's the plan partner?"

A look of distaste spread across Jonathan's face at the word partner. "I need to go see the hatter." He replied simply, grabbing his coat and hearing for the door.

"Jervis?" Edward questioned. "Why on earth do you need his help?"

"He has something I need."

Edward frowned. "You know he's not going to help you after you left him unconscious for a month when you decided to test your new toxin on him."

"He survived didn't he?" Jonathan remarked.

"He nearly died jon!"

Jonathan shrugged. "He'll get over it eventually. Jervis has never been one to hold a grudge."

Edward slapped his palm to his forehead. "Fine. Whatever you say." He sighed before following Jonathan out of the door.


	3. Chapter 3 - Jervis Tetch

The walk to Jervis Tetch's hideout was a tense one. Edward had attempted numerous times at conversation with Jonathan, testing him with endless riddles and stating how much smarter he was than everyone, especially the Batman. However, the Scarecrow's patience was wearing thin and if he heard one more riddle from the narcisstic idiot, he was going to fear gas him into oblivion.

"Riddle me this. What's everywhere, but nowhere, except where some-"

"Edward" Jonathan hissed, his hands curling up into tight fists until his knuckles turned white. "I've had enough of your never ending riddles. Can I please have some silence for the remainder of this walk?"

Edward gulped, staring at the angry man in front of him. It wasn't wise to make Jonathan angry. Somewhere inside the man's lanky and feeble form was Scarecrow, an inner demon who could bring out Edward's worst fears in a matter of seconds. "Sorry" he mumbled before carrying on walking down the narrow and dismal streets of Gotham.

Adjusting his glasses and shoving his hands inside his pockets, Jonathan turned on his heel to catch up with the green suited man in front. "Apology excepted."

Soon enough, to Edward's relief, they were both standing in front of a familiar hatshop. The both exchanged a brief glance before Jonathan's lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles on the wooden, paint chipped door. Rustling could be heard from the other side before the door swung open, revealing a short man in a rather large hat with a card sticking out of it that read 'In this style 10/6'. A tight waistcoast covered his torso with a golden pocket watch dangling out of the bottom right pocket. Black and white checkered trousers covered his legs and his small feet sat comfortably in pointed shoes. A large trenchcoat ran down to his ankles with various buckles and straps and around his neck was a large, polka dot bowtie. At the sight of the two men, the Madhatter's eyes widened and he quickly went to shut the door but was stopped by Jonathan kicking his foot out and stopping it from slamming shut.

"Calm down Jervis. We just want to talk." Edward said smoothly, trying to coax the small hatter into letting them inside. However, Jervis still stared wide eyed at them and he began to tremble as he glanced up at the Scarecrow. Noticing Jervis's shaking, Edward followed the hatter's gaze to Jonathan's. "Don't worry Jervis. Jonathan isn't going to hurt you." He then nudged Jonathan's arm to get him to confirm. The Scarecrow glared at Edward in respone to the nudge.

"I won't hurt you Tetch." He finally forced out.

Jervis didn't look too convinced but sighed and opened the door to the Hatshop and stepped out the way, allowing Jonathan and Edward to enter. They both hung up their coats on the hangers next to the entrance and followed the small man through to a room at the back of the shop, passing various hats of all sizes on mannequins and shelves on their way. Once they had reached the back of the store, Jervis fumbled through his pockets and retrieved a small key from inside. He put the key in the lock and opened the door with a slight creak, revealing a small but long room. In the centre of the room stood a rather large table, covered in teacups, teapots, plates and candles. A checkered cloth covered the surface of the table and 8 identical chairs surrounded it.

Jonathan and Edward both sat down at the far end of the table directly opposite eachother while the Hatter scurried off in search of tea. He returned holding a tray with biscuits, a teapot and 3 cups and saucers on top. "Tea?" He offered.

"Yes please Jervis." Edward said, rubbing his hands together to warm them. Gotham wasn't exactly the warmest place to be, especially this time of year. The weather was usually freezing any time of the year but October was certainly the worst. It rained constantly and a cold wind was always blowing through the air. Eventhough they were indoors, it was still cold.

The Hatter poured the steaming tea in Edward's cup and then ran to the other side of the table to Jonathan. He gave him a weak, timid smile and poured some in his cup. Sitting down with a huff, Jervis began to sip at his own tea, stirring in sugar with a spoon, making a clinging sound which echoed throughout the room. "Your visit is quite unexpected after what happened last time we were together March Hare" Jervis spoke, refering to Jonathan in the wonderland nickname he had given him.

Jonathan looked up from his tea when Jervis spoke. "Well. I apologise Jervis. Maybe I took things a bit too far. I didn't realise my toxins would have such an effect on you."

Jervis huffed. "It was quite an unpleasant experience. I barely remembered what had happened to me when I woke up."

Jonathan nodded, holding in the urge to smile.

His toxins really made the Hatter lose some of his memory? Interesting. He didn't think they were capable of such a thing. Well, Jervis is a rather small and frail man. It wouldn't take much to break his mind. Not like it wasn't already broken.

"Well, I came here hoping you'd do me a favour." He said, pushing up his glasses when they fell down the brim of his nose.

Jervis looked at him uneasily, shifting in his seat slightly. "What do you want?" He asked.

Edward was now listening intently. He had asked Jonathan about his plans earlier when they were at this apartment but he had refused, stating he would tell him when they got to Jervis's hideout.

"I'm preparing a new type of toxin in time for Halloween." He stated, setting his tea cup back down onto it's saucer. He stared at the two men who both had their eyes trained on him.

"So that's why you needed the chemicals from Gotham Univeristy." Edward mused.

" I used to be a professor of Psychology at the University. They fired me saying that my methods to teach my students about fear was too extreme. I disagreed, telling them how important fear was. How it drives everything in our everyday lives. They thought I was crazy." Jonathan had started to get more angry as he talked about his past. Jervis and Edward noticed this and exchanged a worried glance with eachother. "I want to make them pay! I'm going to flood the Univeristy with enough toxin to shatter their minds like glass."

"So, that's your plan? How are you going to manage it? The university closes in the evening and if you do it then, you'll most likely get caught and thrown back into Arkham." Edward stated matter of factly.

Jonathan stood up from his seat and began to pace around where Jervis and Edward were sitting. He stood at the back of Jervis's chair and placed his long, spindly fingers on the top. "They're hosting their yearly halloween charity ball there. I was forced to attend when I was teaching at the University. We'll carry out our little plan then."

"We?" Jervis piped up in a small, quiet voice.

Jonathan smirked. "Of course. Your mind control cards will come in handy."

"What do we get out of this Scarecrow?" Edward cut in, leaning forward on the table with his elbows.

Jonathan smirked once again. "It's a charity ball Edward. That means rich people with a lot of money to give to the less fortunate. Once everyone is screaming in terror as a result of my toxins, we'll grab the money and split it between us all."

Edward nodded and smirked. He looked rather pleased when he heard that money was involved. "I'll help you. What about you Jervis?" He questioned, turning his gaze towards the Hatter.

Jervis grinned and sipped the rest of his tea, setting it back down onto the saucer with a clang. "I'm in."


	4. Chapter 4 - Nightmare

It had been a week since Jonathan, Edward and Jervis had been in contact with eachother. Jonathan had told the two he would be in contact once he had perfected his new toxin and then they could put their plan into action. In the meantime, Edward had been studying the layout of Gotham University. Every room, hallway, ventilation shaft and even supply closets. He now had a mental map of the place permanently stored in his intellectual brain.

As he sat at his desk, eyes scanning over various blueprints and hands scrambling to write down notes on scraps of paper, a sharp knock sounded at the door. He had only stopped at Jonathan's for one night and then gone back to his own hideout in downtown Gotham.

At hearing the loud knock, he jolted upright and ran a hand down his face and then through his hair. It was a lie to say he didn't look like a total mess at this point. His purple tie was hanging loose around his collar and the top buttons of his green shirt were undone. His hair was a tangled mess due to pulling it in frustration when he made a mistake and constantly running a hand through it every so often.

"Who is it?" He shouted from his office. When no answer came, he sighed irritably and pushed himself out of his chair, making his way down the hallway.

As he reached the door, a firm grasp on the handle, he hesitated for a moment as he wondered who was on the other.

What if Batman had found him and was ready to drag him back to Arkham as soon as he opened the door? No, nonsense. Batman wouldn't knock. He'd crash through the window with that grappling hook of his and tackle him to the floor in the process. Right before he called the GCDP to come collect the unconscious prince of puzzles.

Shaking that thought from his head, Edward finally pulled the door open to be greeted by the lanky twig of a man named Jonathan Crane.

"Jon? What are you doing here? How did you find me?" The Riddler asked dumbfounded.

Jonathan started at the man behind his glasses and crossed his bony arms across his chest. "It wasn't too hard Edward. There's a spray painted green question mark on the wall outside. No wonder Batman finds you so easily..."

Edward gave Jonathan a death glare. "So, what do you want?" He questioned, rasing a brow.

"Can I at least come in?" Jonathan asked, weight awkwardly from foot to foot.

Edward gripped the door and opened it wider as to let Jonathan step through. He turned and began walking down the hallway, Jonathan in tow.

"Have you perfected your toxin yet?" Edward called over his shoulder to Jonathan.

Jonathan eyed the Riddler's back and reached for the syringe stuffed inside his jacket, careful not to accidently stab himself.

Not that it would effect him anyway. He had been breathing in these chemicals for years. It was practically bonded to his blood.

He held the syringe in his thin fingers and inspected the orange chemical inside. "I'm close. I just need to...test it out." Jonathan spoke in a much deeper and sinister tone. Keeping his steps light, he quietly crept towards Edward's form.

Edward froze, eyes wide as he noticed the change in Jonathan's tone of voice. He knew what that meant. He wasn't talking to Jonathan anymore, he was talking to Scarecrow. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he felt a small prick and a small, stinging pain rushed through his upper right arm. Looking down, Edward's eyes stared down at the syringe, currently pouring orange liquid into his bloodstream. His vison began to become fuzzy and his knees nearly buckled out from underneath him.

Jonathan pulled the syringe out of Edward's arm, a smirk plastered on his face as Edward looked up at him with fearful eyes. "Hey diddle diddle." The wicked voice sang, the Scarecrow fully emerging. "The cat and the fiddle."

Edward clutched to Jonathan's arm, knees finally buckling out making him collapse into the Scarecrow's thin, bony arms.

"The cow jumped over the moon." He carried on singing in a taunting manner.

Edward's eyes began to flutter closed, silent tears streaming down his face as his nightmares became a reality.

"The little dog laughed to see such fun, and the dish ran away with the spoon."

The last thing Edward saw was a stitched Scarecrow mouth and eyes before he passed out, everything immediently turning black.

Nightmare ~

Edward looked around at the all too familiar surroundings. He stood in his childhood bedroom, the room looking a complete mess as his eyes scanned everything in sight. He heard a door opening downstairs and exited the room, heading to the staircase.

At the front door of his childhood home stood a small boy, around the age of 8, wearing a simple green t-shirt and knee length shorts. His trainers were covered in mud and the laces were loosely tied.

He grinned, gaps visible as a result of some front teeth being missing and he clutched the green book he was holding closer to his chest. "Daddy?" He called, barely being able to contain his excitement.

"What?" A voice snapped groggily from the other room. The little boy immediently ran towards the voice, leaving Edward alone on the staircase.

He knew what was going to happen next. He remembered this day all too well.

Blinking back tears, he made his way downstairs and stood at the doorway, watching the little boy desperately try to get his father's attention.

"Daddy! Look what I won." He cried happily, holding the book of riddles out in front of him, a proud look plastered on his face. "There was a contest at school today. Whoever answered the riddle correctly first got a prize. I won daddy!"

The sluggish father looked at his young son and snatched the book angrily from his weak grasp. "You cheated didn't you!?" He accused and stood up to his full height, glaring down at the boy.

The boy looked up, fear beginning to take over him. His body trembled as he stuttered his next words out. "I..I di..didn't cheat. I..I swear."

"LIAR!" The father yelled and gave the boy a harsh slap across the face, making him fall to the floor in a heap. "Get out of my sight. You know how much I hate cheaters!"

The boy whimpered and scrambled to his feet, retrieving the book from where it was threw on the floor and ran upstairs to his bedroom, sobs escaping his lips as he did so.

Edward watched, tears beginning to fall and fists curling up as he watched the younger version of himself run upstairs crying. He wanted nothing more than to go over to his father and wrap his hands around the man's throat.

But before he could do so, his vision blurred once more and his fathers voice began to mutter harsh things inside his head. "Cheater. You cheated you moron. You cheated!"

"Stop!" Edward cried as he collapsed to his knees. "Just stop! Please"

Then everything faded to black.

Edward jolted upright, his cheeks wet from his tears and his throat hoarse from screaming. He noticed that he was on the sofa, a blanket drapped carelessly around his shaking form. Running a hand down his face, he glanced up and noticed none other than Jonathan Crane, sitting comfortably in an armchair directly opposite to him. His arms were clasped firmly in his lap and he looked at Edward with a keen interest.

"Good news" he suddenly spoke, leaning forward slightly in his chair, the corner of his lips turning up into a smile. "My fear toxin works perfectly fine."


End file.
